One-pot preparation of BAB triblock copolymer nano-objects through bifunctional macromolecular RAFT agent mediated dispersion polymerization. Issue 10 (15th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qu, Yaqing; Wang, Shuang; Khan, Habib; Gao, Chengqiang; Zhou, Heng; Zhang, Wangqing
• Is Part Of: Polymer chemistry. Volume 7:Issue 10(2016)
• Page Start: 1953
• Page End: 1962
• Publication Date: 2016-02-15
• Subjects: Polymers -- Periodicals; Macromolecules -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1039/c5py01917f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1759-9954

Abstract

Abstract : Nano-assemblies of a BAB triblock copolymer containing a solvophilic A block and two solvophobic B blocks were prepared through dispersion RAFT polymerization. Abstract : One-pot preparation of the BAB triblock copolymer nano-objects of polystyrene- block -poly(4-vinylpyridine)- block -polystyrene (PS- b -P4VP- b -PS) containing a central solvophilic A block and two outer solvophobic B blocks through dispersion RAFT polymerization is proposed. Ascribed to the bifunctional macro-RAFT agent of bis(trithiocarbonate)-terminated poly(4-vinylpyridine) (TTC-P4VP-TTC), which contains two functional RAFT moieties at each terminal of the polymer backbone, the bifunctional TTC-P4VP-TTC macro-RAFT agent mediated dispersion polymerization affords the in situ synthesis of the PS- b -P4VP- b -PS triblock copolymer nano-objects. The parameters affecting the morphology of the PS- b -P4VP- b -PS triblock copolymer nano-objects are investigated, and it is found that the morphology of the PS- b -P4VP- b -PS nano-objects undergoes a transition from nanospheres, to worms, to vesicles and finally to lacunal nanospheres with the extension of the PS block during the dispersion RAFT polymerization. The bifunctional macro-RAFT agent mediated dispersion polymerization is demonstrated to be a valid method to prepare BAB triblock copolymer nano-objects with interesting morphology.